


Writ upon the heavens

by Starrie_Wolf



Category: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha | Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Growing Up, Leaving Home, Missing Scene, Set between A's and StrikerS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 12:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8890576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrie_Wolf/pseuds/Starrie_Wolf
Summary: Growing up was a different kind of adventure than what Nanoha was used to, but technically speaking she'd already been working for the TSAB for the past eight years.
They were just going to make it official.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [genarti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/genarti/gifts).



“Takamachi Nanoha?”

Nanoha blinked rapidly at the sound of her name, bolting upright. “Yes, Maeda-sensei?”

Her teacher sighed, shaking her head. By the look on her face, that wasn’t the first time she’d tried, and failed to get Nanoha’s attention. “Class was dismissed a while ago, Nanoha-kun.”

Oh. Oops.

Now that she was paying attention, the rest of the classroom was empty.

“I’m sorry, sensei!” She began throwing things into her bag – no, wait, it was her turn to do duty today. Lurching out of her seat, Nanoha almost tripped over a stray table leg to get to the blackboard, laughing to herself in embarrassment. Really, she should be a lot less clumsy, given what she’d been doing since she was nine years old. But if there wasn’t an emergency going on – or if Fate-chan was around –

Nanoha shut that train of thought down _fast_.

Still hovering in the doorway, Maeda-sensei was frowning. “Is… everything all right?” she asked tentatively, walking into the classroom.

“Oh! Yes, everything’s great!”

Her teacher wasn’t so easily dissuaded. “You’ve been out of sorts for a few days now,” Maeda-sensei argued, coming closer to where Nanoha was busy trying to reach the top of the blackboard. “And when I walked past the classroom just now, you were just sitting there staring into space.”

Had she? Ah, that was kind of embarrassing.

“– and you haven’t submitted any college applications.”

Nanoha nearly dropped the duster in her hand. Had her behaviour been so weird, she was even making her teacher worried?

“I – I’ve actually been taking night classes for college credit for a while now,” she admitted, slowly, putting the duster down. “It was hard, but really fun!” Certainly, nobody made fun of her, even though she was at least five years younger than the next-youngest student. “And I kind of… graduated? And they gave me a job offer a week ago?” She turned around, and finally looked at Maeda-sensei properly.

Whatever her teacher had been expecting, it certainly hadn’t been _that_. Shock was writ all over her features, but also sympathy. “Congratulations, Nanoha-kun. I’ve always known you were a brilliant student, but this is exceptional.”

“Thank you!” Nanoha said, surprised. “Though, I haven’t accepted the offer yet.”

Maeda-sensei nodded, almost to herself. “Of course. You’re only seventeen, the idea of leaving your family must be hard.

“Yeah,” Nanoha sighed. “If I take the job, I’ll probably get to see them maybe once a year.”

It would be worth it, though. Hayate-chan was heading another branch in the TSAB, and of course Fate-chan was already working as an enforcer, so it wasn’t like she was going to be completely alone. But the idea of moving out, of renting (buying?) her own house, of living without her family for the first time…

Not only was the job not in Japan, it wasn’t even on Earth. She’d have to move to Mid-Childa, where the training academy was located.

“Whatever decision you make, let it be one that you don’t regret.”

Nanoha sent her teacher a dazzling smile. “Thank you, sensei.”

Now she just had to tell her parents.

* * *

“Mom, Dad – there’s something I need to tell you.”

She fought not to fidget under the combined stares from her parents and siblings. “So, um, remember all those night classes I was attending for the Academy?” That had been a fun discussion. Nanoha had no idea how her parents would take to the idea that apparently their daughter was a magical girl, but her Mom had just fussed over whether she was eating enough for her ‘night-time activities’ and her Dad had asked if she’d thought she was doing the right thing.

“The ones you’ve been taking since you were in junior high?” her father confirmed. “What about them?”

“Well…” she poked her fingers together, and then shoved them under the table. This _is_ the right thing to do. “I graduated a while ago, and a few days ago they called to ask if I was willing to become an instructor at the Academy.”

There was a stunned silence at the table, before her mother got up and came around to hug her. “I’m so proud of you,” she said, and Nanoha clung on tighter, fighting the urge to cry. “But I guess that means you’ll be moving out, won’t you?”

“Yes,” she mumbled into her mother’s shoulder. “But I’ll come visit as often as I can, and I’ll call all the time, and –”

“I know you will, dear. But make sure to bring Fate-chan with you!”

The tips of her ears were still burning when she fled to her room to pack.

* * *

Watching the space shuttle touch down on the grass, Nanoha was suddenly seized with the realisation that she’d never thought to ask what the time difference between Mid-Childa and Japan was.

It seemed like such a small thing, and yet, it meant _everything_.

She must have taken this shuttle from this park a dozen, a hundred times – but before, she’d always left with the belief that she’d be coming home as soon as her classes or the latest crisis was over. And she was definitely going to keep coming back, as often as she could, but it just wasn’t going to be the same anymore.

_Home_ wasn’t a little two-storey nestled next to her parents’ bakery anymore.

That should have been a terrifying prospect, and Nanoha was definitely a little nervous, but truth be told she was also excited to see what the future brought. Which kind of summed up her entire career as a whole, to be honest. Instead of being intimidated by the more powerful adversaries, she took a beating, she got back up, and she went back in and did it all over again.

“Nanoha-chan!”

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt.

“ _Fate-chan?_ ”

Her feet were moving before she’d realised they were, but she could hardly be annoyed about it, not when it meant she got to throw her arms around Fate instead of standing there gaping like an idiot.

“You’ve gotten taller,” Nanoha pouted, rising onto tiptoes to hug Fate better. “But I thought you were on a mission?”

Fate glowered at her. “ _Of course_ I came back as fast I could. How can I pass up a chance to see you?”

Aieee, her parents were right there! Nanoha tried to force down the blush in her cheeks, burying her head in Fate’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you made it,” she mumbled, once she’d gotten her voice under control, raising her head again.

She didn’t really want to let go, and neither did Fate, but they eventually had to separate, if only because they had get all of Nanoha’s luggage on board the shuttle.

Mom was smiling at her again, looking so incredibly happy and not the slightest bit surprised when Nanoha tentatively slipped her hand into Fate’s. Apparently her parting comment the other night hadn’t been just a misinterpretation after all. “Make sure you remember to do your laundry, and don’t eat too much take-out –”

“Yes Mom. I’ll send you lots of photos, okay?”

“And you,” Dad told Fate sternly, “you’ll take care of Nanoha?”

Fate blinked rapidly, and Nanoha could feel her straining not to salute out of sheer habitual response to the tone. “I will,” she promised fiercely. “We’ll take care of each other,” she added, turning to smile fondly at Nanoha.

Oh, great, now the blush was back in full force. Nanoha stared down at the grass, but she knew she was smiling so hard right now she wasn’t going to be able to hide it.

Maybe, once they’ve settled down a little, she could ask Fate-chan to buy a house with her?


End file.
